A Chance To Fly
by Wave Singer
Summary: InuYasha and Kagome meet Akura, a demon with a strange past, after falling off a cliff. When they meet her master(aka her father) they become VERY confused. Please R&R.
1. Default Chapter

"It's so peaceful here," Kagome sighed, staring up at the stars.

"What's that, Kagome?" Sango asked. Kagome glanced at her friend.

"Oh, it was nothing," she replied.

* * *

"Do you sense any jewel shards yet, Kagome?" InuYasha whined from the back of Kagome's bike. 

"No, I'm not sensing anything," Kagome replied, slightly exasperated.

"Kagome, we're going to go ahead and see if that village we were told about is close by, ok?" Sango called, flying up beside them on Kilala, Miroku sitting behind her and Shippo on Kilala's head.

"Ok, we'll catch up with you later then," Kagome replied.

She watched as they flew ahead until they went around a bend and flew out of sight. As she pedaled along, she looked down the cliff they were traveling along. She shuddered and said, "I'd sure hate to fall down that."

"Ya, that's for sure," InuYasha agreed, also looking down the nearly vertical cliff. They rode on in silence for a few moments, both lost in thought. Kagome was having extra troubles trying to get her bike to travel in a straight line seeing as the mountain pass was so rocky. She hit a few bigger ruts, and caused InuYasha to fall slightly off-balance. Kagome struggled to get her bike going in a straight line again as InuYasha struggled to find his balance. The bike's wheel turned, and Kagome and InuYasha both went plunging off the cliff.

* * *

"How far ahead do you think that village is, Miroku?" Sango asked, looking ahead for signs of civilization. 

"I don't know. I've never been to this particular place before," Miroku replied. He was grinning slightly as he spoke.

"Miroku," Sango warned her hand straying to her boomerang.

"What?" Miroku asked, an innocent look settling upon his face.

**SMACK**!

"Serves you right, Miroku," Shippo snickered, turning to Miroku, who was rubbing his face with a stupid grin on his face. Sango was fuming in front of him.

"What was that for, Sango dear?" Miroku asked in a hurt voice.

"Don't even-" Sango's reply was cut short by a scream that echoed through the pass, then cut off suddenly.

"What was that?" Sango asked in alarm.

"I don't know. Let's go back and check it out," Miroku replied.

"Let's go Kilala," Sango told her feline companion. They quickly flew back the way they came.

"Wait a minute," Miroku said slowly, "Where are Kagome and InuYasha? We should have met them by now."

"Oh, no," Sango whispered, looking down the cliff. Miroku and Shippo also looked down and saw what had caused Sango to gasp. It was Kagome's bike, smashed against the boulders at the bottom of the mountain.

* * *

"Kagome? Kagome, wake up." InuYasha was crouched beside the unconscious miko, trying to get a response from her. 

"Damn it, where are we?" he growled sitting back on his heels and looking around him. The last thing he remembered was falling off the cliff, and then waking up beside Kagome in this cavern.

"Please wake up," he whispered, turning back to Kagome andbecoming slightly desperate.She was lying deathly still, her face white, and barely breathing.

"Your friend will not die," said a soft voice, floating out of the shadows. InuYasha scrambled to his feet quickly, standing protectively over Kagome's still body.

"Who are you?" he asked, searching the shadows for the source of the voice.

"My name is Akura. I was sent to assist you and your friend," the voice said.

"If you were sent to help us, then show yourself," InuYasha growled, his hand straying to the Tetsiaga. His eyes narrowed slightly as a pale blue light flared up, and a woman stepped out of the shadows.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello! Ok, I thought I'd do a little note thingamajigger, so here goes.  
Thanks to **Daughter of the Night** for reviewing. Me likey reviews  
The italics in the story are the characters thoughts, just so you know.  
Okey doke, continue on with the story, and PLEASE REVIEW!_

* * *

"Wow, that bike is really mangled," Sango commented, choking up slightly.

"Yeah," Miroku replied, his head bowed. Shippo watched the two silently from Kilala's back.

"You think they're dead, don't you," Shippo asked, a serious expression on his young face. Sango glanced on him, than looked away, tears slowly filling her browneyes.

"Shippo, there is no way they could have survived a fall from that high up," Miroku told him gently, his features softened by pity for the young kit.

"No, you're wrong, they're not dead," Shippo said calmly, shaking his head, "They can't be."

"Shippo," Sango began. Miroku put his hand on her arm to stop her, and shook his head.

"Let him be," he whispered, "We'll just make it worse for him if we try to MAKE him understand." Sango slowly nodded her head in agreement.

Shippo turned and walked away, followed by Kilala.

"They aren't dead, Kilala," he told her as they walked away, "if they were dead, their bodies would have been there, and there would have been blood."

They walked in silence for a few moments. A tear slowly rolled down Shippo's face.

* * *

InuYasha's eyes narrowed slightly as a pale blue light flared up and a woman stepped partly out of the shadows.

"My name is Akura," the woman informed him, bowing with a flourish, "and welcome to my… humble abode." InuYasha noticed with mild interest that her last couple of words were dripping with sarcasm.

"I still can't see your face," InuYasha said, taking a step towards the strange woman. She sighed impatiently and took another step into the blue light that was filling the cavern. She smiled at the look on InuYasha's face. His mouth was hanging open slightly, and he appeared momentarily stunned, for standing in front of him was a woman of incomparable beauty. Her hair was a pale silver color that cascaded down her back to mid-thigh. Her skin was also very pale, and would have given her a ghostly appearance, except that her eyes were a vivid blue that stood out in her pale features. InuYasha quickly shook his head and looked away from the stunning woman.

"You said you were sent to help us," InuYasha said gruffly, looking everywhere except Akura's face.

"Yes, I was," she replied, InuYasha noted that her voice sounded like little bells.

"Bring your friend and I will make sure her injuries are taken care of," she continued. InuYasha walked over to Kagome and carefully picked her up of the ground. Akura retreated out of the tunnel, and InuYasha followed quickly, for the light that had illuminated the cavern earlier had diminished to a faint glow.

"_Who is she, and why is she down here? And how did she know we where here? Damn it all! This makes no sense!"_


	3. Chapter 3

_Alright, just a couple of things I want to make clear. When Akura says "when I turned 160," just think of that like when she turned 16. She is a demon, after all. Just let me know if that sounds way too weird, and I'll change it to 16._

_Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha and the gang, but I do own Akura and Mishawka. If you want to use them in a story, just ask, ok?_

_ON WITH THE STORY!

* * *

_

"Sango! Wake up," Miroku whispered, leaning towards the slumbering brunette. When she didn't reply, he nudged her with his staff, keeping out of her hitting range. For some reason, she even slapped him in her sleep.

"Saaangooo," he whispered again, slightly louder. Miroku gave an impatient sigh as she rolled over, turning her back from him.

"SANGO! WAKE UP!" he yelled, jabbing her with his staff again. He backed away quickly as her hand twitched in the direction of her weapons.

"There'd better be a good reason as to why you woke me up in the middle of the night, monk," she grumbled.

"Sorry Sango dear," he replied, "But Shippo and Kilala are missing,"

"WHAT! Why didn't you wake me up sooner?" she yelled at him, sitting up in her bedroll. Miroku just rolled his eyes.

"Come on, we'd better find them, or we'll have four missing people on our hands," Miroku said to her, pulling her to her feet.

* * *

InuYasha had been following Akura for what felt like hours. He finally had enough, and caught up to the mysterious woman.

"Hey," he began, putting his hand on her back to stop her. His hand came in contact with…feathers?

"What the-" he growled, pulling his hand back. Akura stopped and turned halfway, and the blue light that seemed to follow her became bright once again. When his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, InuYasha saw her silhouette was distorted along her back. She turned around and started walking again, the light once again fading. They walked in silence for a few feet when Akura suddenly spoke.

"My father barely even acknowledges me now that he found out about them…my wings I mean," she said sadly, "He treats me more like a slave than a daughter."

"I take it you haven't had them your whole life then," InuYasha asked, his curiosity about this woman growing by the second.

"No," Akura replied, "I noticed them on the day I turned 160. My father was rarely at home, so he didn't know about them till about half a year ago. When he finally came home, after I think it was after 2 years, I ran up to him to show him. I thought they were the neatest thing I'd ever seen or heard of. I could fly around too, so I was really excited when Father came." She paused for a moment, reliving the moment, than continued.

"When he saw me, he looked at me like he'd never seen me before. I didn't understand at all. Where was the warm smile that he gave me when I ran up to him? Where was the man who said he'd always love me, no matter what?"

"At the time, I lived with him in his palace in the western lands. When he came home and saw me, he ordered me to get out of the room, then came out after about 15 minutes and told me to follow him. He took me to the mountain range where you and your friends were passing, and pushed me. It didn't register in my brain that I was falling until it was to late." Akura took a deep breath and continued.

"When I finally reacted to the fact I was falling, I had hit the side of the cliff. It knocked the breath out of me, and I kept falling, unable to spread my wings. I thought I would fall forever. When I finally fell into this…prison, I was completely out of it. I hit the bottom, and fell unconscious. I don't know how long I lied there for, but when I came to, my father's servant was standing against the wall. I remember looking up into her emotionless face, and swearing I would get revenge on my father for doing this to me. I demanded her to take me to my father immediately, but she just laughed in my face.

"The master refuses to see you," she said, "And says you are no longer his daughter, but a mutant." She was so thrilled to see my anguish; I could have killed her right then. She must have read it on my face though, and quickly told me that if I wanted to survive down here, I would have to follow her. He took me to a large chamber that held all my belongings, and a huge cache of food, than disappeared. I've been down here ever since, with no one for company until my father sent Mishawka. She is the one who sent me to assist you and your woman friend." After Akura finished her story, she fell silent; it had been painful to relive the past. She shook her head. No, this was her destiny now. She had to get revenge on her father for doing this to her.

"Ah, here we are," she said, pushing on the wall of the tunnel. She turned to InuYasha, who had shifted Kagome to his back during Akura's story.

"Welcome to my home."


	4. Chapter 4

"SHIPPO, KILALA!" Sango shouted, searching for her little companions. She turned around, almost running into Miroku. She jumped back, than sighed.

"Did you find anything?" she asked, her face lighting up hopefully.

"No. Did you?" he asked, watching the light trickle put of Sango's pretty face.

"Nothing," she replied, slumping to the ground. "Where could they have gone?"

Miroku sat down beside her, letting his staff drop with a jingle. His eyes searched the cliffs surrounding them. His gaze stopped on the spot where they had last seen InuYasha and Kagome.

"What if…" he murmured to himself. Sango, who was watching him closely, let her gaze travel up to where Miroku was looking.

"What if what?" she asked, looking at the monk. He jerked out of his trance and glanced at the demon slayer.

"Come with me," he said, getting to his feet and putting a hand out to help Sango up. "I think I know where they went."

"Miroku, where are we going?" Sango asked, pausing on the steep incline of the slope to blow a strand of hair off her sweaty. Miroku looked back and chuckled.

"Surely you're not getting tired," he teased, walking back down to where Sango was standing.

"I already told you, I think I know where Shippo and Kilala are," he continued.

"Yes, but WHERE?"

"Where we last saw Kagome and InuYasha."

"Oh."

"Now, let's continue, shall we?" Miroku said, offering his arm to Sango.

"Sango! Miroku! Wait for us!" a very familiar voice called. The two turned and sighed in relief. Shippo and Kilala were running up the hill behind them.

"Where'd you go?" Shippo asked. "We were looking all over the place for you!"

"Well, talk about irony," Miroku chuckled. "We were doing the same thing."

"Where were you?" Sango demanded." We've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Oh, we were just at the river, watching the rapids," Shippo explained.

"Why didn't you come when we called?" Sango asked.

"You can't hear much over the rapids."

"Yeah, but why-"

"They're back. That's all that matters," Miroku said, smoothly cutting Sango off.

* * *

"Mishawka, I'm back!" Akura called out, stepping aside to allow InuYasha to pass.

"Good! Bring the girl in here, than show the young man around," a woman's voice called from a chamber to the left of where the trio was situated.

"Bring her in here," Akura told InuYasha, motioning to Kagome's silent form and walking into the chamber. InuYasha walked into the small room, glancing around as he did so.

"Put her here," Akura ordered, pointing to a futon mattress on the floor. "Mishawka will take care of her."

"Where is this Mishawka anyways?" InuYasha asked, setting Kagome down gently.

"She is around here somewhere," Akura told him. "Do not worry. Kagome will be perfectly safe." Noting the skeptical look on his face, Akura turned around and sighed.

"Mishawka, could you come out, please?"

"I'm right here." InuYasha spun around in surprise, his hand gripping the hilt of the Tetsusaiga tightly.

"But you're a …"


	5. Chapter 5

"But you're a…" InuYasha sputtered.

"A pixie, yes" Mishawka finished for him. She fluttered behind him, tiny translucent wings beating steadily. She alighted on InuYasha's shoulder, and primly tucked her legs beneath her.

"Now leave so that I may help your friend," she ordered.

"No way," InuYasha protested. "I'm staying here."

"Come on InuYasha," Akura said. "I'll show you around. Kagome will be perfectly safe with Mishawka." InuYasha, who started to protest again, was suddenly dragged out of the chamber by Akura.

"Let's go," she said, walking down yet more tunnels, all the while keeping a tight grip on InuYasha's forearm.

"Let go of me," he growled at her, yanking his arm out of her grip. He stared grumpily over at Akura, who just stared right back, her eyes dancing with humor. Spinning around, InuYasha took a step, preparing to head back to the chamber where they had left Kagome. Looking around, he realized he had absolutely no clue where to go. And, for that matter, he couldn't smell their trail at all. And was it getting darker in here, or was it just him? When Akura gave a gasp of surprise, he whirled to face her, his black hair flying in front of his face. _Wait a minute! Black? Damn it! Tonight must be the new moon!_

"You're a hanyou?" Akura asked, her voice full of surprise.

"Feh," he grumbled, crossing his arms in front of him.

"I thought…you acted…but…I thought you were a full blooded youkai," Akura stammered.

"So, what's it to ya?" he grumbled.

"Oh, this is bad," Akura muttered, wringing her hands nervously. "How am I going to explain this to Kagura?"

"What did you just say?" InuYasha demanded, grabbing Akura by the shoulders.

"Kagura, my father's servant, is coming tonight," Akura repeated, her eyes wide with surprise and fear.

"You mean to tell me your father is _Naraku_?" he spat, pushing her away from him. She stumbled and landed hard on her back, crying out in pain when one of her wings crumpled beneath her.

"No," she replied, looking up in confusion. "No, my father is Lord Takamaru, shogun of a province in Shikoku."

"What about Kagura? What does she look like?" InuYasha inquired, towering over Akura.

_I never thought I'd be afraid of a human, but he has a temper like a ravenous wolf. Mind, he is also half demon._

"She wears two white feathers in her hair, and carries a fan," Akura told him, backing away from the angry hanyou and climbing to herfeet. InuYasha turned his back on her and crossed his arms.

"I'm afraid your 'father' has been deceiving you," he said, his anger diminishing somewhat.

"What do you mean by that?" Akura asked.

"Your father is dead. A hanyou by the name of Naraku killed him and took over his body as a disguise. He is after the jewel shards."

"Dead? Jewel shards? Naraku? Who and what are you talking about?" Akura asked shaking her head in confusion.

"I already told you," InuYasha said, frowning. "Now, when is Kagura coming?" he continued, turning back to Akura.

"I do not know," she replied, also frowning. "She usually just…shows up, without warning."

"Come on then. We've got to get back before she arrives," InuYasha stated, heading down what he hoped was the right tunnel.

"Um, InuYasha?" Akura said, giggling a little. "Wrong way."


End file.
